Drinking Aid
A solution was required to enable the lady to drink whenever she wanted to. A “Straw Mover” by Neater Solutions was tried, but it did not have enough adjustment to speed, or position if the lady moved in bed. The item was going to be used for when in a chair, but the speed was still an issue if the carers didn’t accurately set it up. Using a gravity-fed device meant the item needed careful adjustment to ensure that the lady did not take too much liquid, so the final solution was a straw with a foot valve.
The Challenge
A lady with advance Parkinson’s was often left from 20:00 until 08:00 without a drink as she was unable to get a cup or hold a straw to her lips without support. The lady had limited head movement and was also claustrophobic so she could not have something near her face for long periods of a time. Constraints in the bedroom meant that the approach for any aid was limited as it also had to be out of the way for the carers to deal with her needs.
The solution
The electro-mechanical device, controlled by a “buddy button” presented a straw to her and if she had moved sideways in the bed she was able to move it left and right to reach her lips by two other buttons. The “fore and aft” movement was set/adjusted by the carers with a turnbuckle when they positioned her in bed.
The drinking aid created clamped to the bed head and could be summoned and positioned by the lady.
There are two videos showing the device working: https://1drv.ms/u/s!BC3-B4n_QijclAxsbkZxCjQG9Zbn?e=9btr3U
The benefit
She could drink when she wanted and not just when someone was with her.
- Skills involved:
- Issues Addresses:
- Activities Helped:
- Location:
- Solution:
